I think this is worth mentioning.
Took the opportunity to buy some syrup from Thornes at Rand Lincolnshire while in the area. I asked for 30 kg to be put into 3 plastic cans and I worked out the cost at £49.50. After they filled the cans I was told the cost was £77. 22 because there was more than 30 kg in the cans. I questioned why and was told there was no accurate way of measuring 30 kg and so without pouring the syrup back into the main holding tank I thought I would buy it.
Because I questioned the staff why an least an accurate measure could not be guaranteed I was then confronted by a Director who asked if there was a problem. Yes and went over the story again he was not satisfied and I was eventually told to get out of the shop take the syrup and don't come back. At no point did I engage in a confrontational manner but the Director did and I cannot believe the attitude of Thornes when a customer queries their inability to weight out 30 kg of syrup.
So if anyone intends to buy syrup using their own cans (advertised in Thornes 2014 catalogue at £1.65 a kg using own container) beware!
We shall not be going back to Thornes at any branch in the UK.
Vive la France.

Quite right biobee. If Thornes advertise "own container, kg" and then cannot accurately measure out it needs reporting. In my case 30 kg requested (in my own cans) and I finish up with 47kg. They did indicate that surplus would be poured back into the main tank but still cant guarantee the amount. I refused as I consider pouring back could be a potential contamination issue and so took the lot and paid an extra £27+.
Truly appalling service and customer relations.

Took their word for it. Checked on some scales and it was 27kg in one can and 10kg in each of two other cans (give or take using bathroom scales). Clearly if they can sell me 47kg with accuracy they could have sold me 30kg which is what I wanted. Why was Paul Smith the Director so unpleasant to me when I queried the discrepancy?
It looks to me like Thornes are just big business and lost the plot. I have to say their Top Bar Hive is totally useless for Northern Europe.

I think this is worth mentioning.
Took the opportunity to buy some syrup from Thornes at Rand Lincolnshire while in the area. I asked for 30 kg to be put into 3 plastic cans and I worked out the cost at £49.50. After they filled the cans I was told the cost was £77. 22 because there was more than 30 kg in the cans. I questioned why and was told there was no accurate way of measuring 30 kg and so without pouring the syrup back into the main holding tank I thought I would buy it.
Because I questioned the staff why an least an accurate measure could not be guaranteed I was then confronted by a Director who asked if there was a problem. Yes and went over the story again he was not satisfied and I was eventually told to get out of the shop take the syrup and don't come back. At no point did I engage in a confrontational manner but the Director did and I cannot believe the attitude of Thornes when a customer queries their inability to weight out 30 kg of syrup.
So if anyone intends to buy syrup using their own cans (advertised in Thornes 2014 catalogue at £1.65 a kg using own container) beware!
We shall not be going back to Thornes at any branch in the UK.
Vive la France.

I sent an email to Thorne some time ago suggesting how some of their products could be improved and saying that is some areas the quality was not up to their competition. I emphasized that I was not complaining but trying to help them with feedback. I received an incredulous and dismissive response from Jill Smith. Clearly, Thorne thinks it is the, dare I say it, bees knees!

I don't know if the Smith's are related at Thornes. But Paul Smith told me to get out and don't come back and Jill or Gill Smith appears also to take great offence at any criticism.
Not been back and not going back to Thornes.

This is my 3rd year keeping bees and the only thing I ever bought in a bee shop was a veil. If I knew sport fishing shops sell fine hats with mosquito nets for half the price of bee veils I would never need to but that overpriced veil.

Top Bar Hive beeks don't need bee shops at all in my opinion. Especially not if we are treatment free. Sugar can be bought in food shops.
Fondant can be DIY. We need no smoker nor hive tool. Spray bottle and kitchen knife will do.

We need no special feeders, inverted glass jars will do.
We most definitely don't need wax foundation

I'd use smoke when you come to harvesting the supers off your new framed hives Che. Wouldn't wish the bee-tornado that peppered my arms and shoulders with stings upon anyone else.

A water spray had seemed fine for every manipulation I'd made. But when it came to robbing a box full of their honey, my third hive punctured my ideal of smoke-free kindness countless throbbing times. Never again.

Several months ago, I thought I would experiment with the Nicot queen rearing system, and ordered what Thorne's claimed to be the full kit. It turned out to be a cheap Chinese rip-off, which does not have the built-in queen introduction cage and was missing the rear panel.

The genuine Nicot system can be bought from several other suppliers, and I got mine from Solway Bee Supplies, who sent the real thing.

This is exactly why I think that internet forums are a good idea. I am new to beekeeping have been looking for some basic equipment, have never heard of Thorne's before but have now. looks like they just lost another customer even before they knew it.

Conserving wild bees

Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.

Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.